Bodyswap
by garam81
Summary: Both Queen Guinevere and her maid, Isobel, both wish they were a little bit more like each other. But when Isobel casts a secret spell to make her more introvert like the queen, trouble ensues when both women finds they now appear to others as each other. In short, they've bodyswapped. Isobel is an OC, used for story purposes .
1. Chapter 1

**BODYSWAP**

_Yes, I went there with that old story premise, the body swap. The victims are Queen Guinevere and my new fall-back female character, Isobel, who is also featured in my other Merlin short 'Leon and Gwaine have a sword fight'. Anyway, onto the first bit of the story..._

Laughter filled the bedroom chamber as the queen hid her shocked face behind her hands. She slowly lowered them and peered across at the woman sitting on the bed.

'Oh my goodness, Isobel!' Gwen gasped. 'You're a bad influence on me, you know.'

'Why, have you and the King done that, too?' Isobel asked, with a suggestive rising of an eyebrow.

'No we have not,' she replied, scandalised despite the grin on her face.

Isobel shrugged. 'Your loss,' she teased.

The door to the room opened. Both Gwen and Isobel looked round with a jolt, wearing the looks of people who'd been caught doing something naughty.

Arthur stepped into the room and smiled at his wife. Then he noticed Isobel. 'Ah, Isobel. How are you settling in as Guinevere's maid?'

The two women exchanged glances and then burst into fits of giggles which left Arthur bemused and a little bit scared. Gwen was the first to compose herself and walked over to the king.

'Sorry, Arthur,' she said, trying to rid the wide smile from her face. 'Yes, Isobel's settling in very well.'

'Good,' Arthur smiled.

'I think this is a perfect opportunity for me to leave,' said Isobel, rising from the bed.

'You've completed all your duties?' Arthur asked.

Gwen gently touched his arm. 'Don't worry. She's been the perfect maid.' She was careful not to catch Isobel's eye for fear of laughing again. Arthur didn't have to know that his queen had helped her maid with the chores. When you had to do things for yourself for most of your life, it was a hard habit to suddenly stop.

'Goodnight, my lady. Goodnight, my lord,' Isobel said curstseying, before leaving the room.

'Merlin not with you tonight?' Gwen asked, getting beneath the blankets.

Arthur sat on the edge of the bed, taking off his boots. 'No,' he sighed, dropping the first boot and then the second to the floor. 'He says he's feeling unwell. I don't believe him. He's been in a mood about something all day.' He pulled back the cover on his side and slid in beside his wife. 'Everything all right?' he asked, frowning at Gwen.

'What?' She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled at her husband. 'Yes, I was just... Do you wish I was more like Isobel?'

Arthur's eyes widened, and there was a slight look of horror etched on his face. 'What a strange question,' he finally said.

'Well?'

'I... I... I mean, she's a perfectly nice woman... if not a little too familiar with some of the knights... and slightly bossy... and a little bit scary at times.'

'I'm sure she likes you too, Arthur' Gwen said, sarcastically.

'Oh don't get me wrong, she's been very loyal to Camelot, but I don't understand why -'

'I sometimes feel like I should have been more assertive and, I don't know, bolder, before we started courting, Gwen interrupted, glumly.

Arthur wrapped an arm around his wife and pulled her close. 'You're Queen of Camelot, now. You don't have to worry about anything.'

'I'm not worried, I'm just -' She was prevented from speaking further by a long, deep kiss from Arthur.

'Stop worrying, Queen Guinevere,' Arthur murmured, and kissing her again.

Walking through the corridors of the castle, Isobel realised she didn't feel particularly tired. She knew that as part of her new role as Queen's Maid, she would have to be up early but surely a quick drink at the tavern wouldn't do any harm. Besides, if today was anything to go by, tomorrow's duties would be over very quickly with Gwen helping out.

Isobel smiled with warmth at the thought of her friend. Gwen had gone from being a commoner to the dizzying heights of Queen of Camelot. Overcoming many obstacles, she had found her true love in Arthur Pendragon and they were happy. Isobel envied their happiness. She would never admit it to anyone but she wished she had that special someone, her very own one true love.

She made a face and laughed at herself. She had never been a romantic sort. Perhaps that's why she felt comfortable enough drinking in the alehouses with men. And her drinking companions knew that Isobel was good enough for a bit of harmless banter and a bit of flirting but nothing more. Of course, that meant that she got more than just a couple of suspicious looks from some of the wives of the alehouse patrons. After all, according to them, only women of ill-repute and whores drank in the taverns.

As she opened the door to _The Speckled Jim_, she found the usual suspects sitting at a table nearest the bar. All had a tankard of beer in their hand and were busy chatting away like fishwives. Isobel stood in the doorway wondering if she should join them. It could mean several hours of drinking and a wobbly, stumbling walk home at the end of it.

'Isobel, over here!' Gwaine was raising his tankard to her. The other knights at the table looked across, at the sound of her name, and beckoned her over.

As she approached the table, Percival stood up in a gentlemanly manner until she was seated between him and Elyan.

'An ale for my good friend,' Gwaine called to the harrassed-looking barmaid behind the counter.

Isobel leaned across to Percival. 'You really don't have do that, Percival,' she said, in a slightly admonishing tone. 'Stand, I mean. I'm not a Lady, or anything.'

Percival wore a disappointed look at her words but nodded and returned to his conversation with Leon.

So, how's life as my sister's maid?' Elyan asked, draining his tankard.

'Good, actually,' Isobel admitted. 'To be honest, I think half the time she forgets she's queen.'

Elyan grinned. 'Let me guess, she was helping you with your duties.' Isobel nodded. 'Ha, typical Gwen.'

'Hey,' said Gwaine, looking around and then at Isobel. 'Where's Merlin? I invited him for an ale. He's not hiding, is he?'

'He's not feeling well,' Leon explained. 'A sore stomach, according to Gaius.'

Gwaine cackled. 'He's not got a sore anything. He's afraid we'd show him up when it comes to drinking. Even Isobel here could drink him under the table.'

The barmaid came over and plonked the tankard down in front of Isobel who handed over the coins, then went to tend to a couple of customers who'd just entered the building.

Isobel was staring at Gwaine. 'What's that supposed to mean?' she asked, in a loud enough voice that he would hear over the noise of the tavern.

Gwaine frowned. 'Nothing. Just that you're a woman who can hold her drink, that's all,' he said, flashing her a grin.

Isobel looked down at her drink for a moment, sighed heavily, and then pushed the tankard towards Percival. 'You can have it,' she muttered.

The knight looked down at the drink and then at Isobel. 'What's wrong?'

'I'm going.' Without saying goodbye, she rose from her seat and left the tavern, not even heeding the calls from Gwaine and the others to come back.

The temperature had dropped quickly by the time she got outside. Stars spotted the night sky and the moon was at its fullest. Isobel wrapped her shawl tightly around her shoulders and started to make her way home.

'Isobel!'

She didn't bother turning round, just carried on walking. 'Go back in, Percival,' she called out. But the knight was too quick and she felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder.

'Really, Percival,' she said, turning round and looking up at the tall knight. 'I'm... fine. Just go back to the tavern.'

'I'll walk you home,' he said, matter-of-factly.

'You'll do no such thing. Look, I'm in a mood. It's best just to leave me to it. All right?'

'All right? But I'll still see you home.'

Isobel sighed again and set off in the direction she intended to go, Percival at her side.

It wasn't a far walk but they found themselves walking at a slow pace, despite the chill in the air. Neither spoke until they reached Isobel's small home, nestled between a shoesmith's and another house.

'Now you can go back,' Isobel said, trying to smile.

'Not until you tell me what's wrong?' Percival said, leaning against the door to block her way.

'I told you -'

'You didn't tell me the truth. Was it what Gwaine said? Ignore him. You know what he's like.'

Isobel looked at the ground. 'It wasn't just what Gwaine said.' She paused for a moment and then looked up. 'How do you see me? I mean, what do you think of me? Really?'

Percival appeared flustered. He started to speak but stammered his words. Isobel raised a hand, signalling him to stop.

'I mean, am I this woman who's just good enough for getting drunk with, or bantering with, or... Am I no worse than a whore?'

'What?' Percival said, in an alarmed tone.

'Come on, Percival. Everyone knows that I'm not exactly virgin material. I have lain with men before and only because I'm safe in the knowledge that I'm barren.'

She couldn't quite see his face in the darkness, but she could tell the knight was at a loss for something to say. She'd shocked him with her blunt words, that much she knew.

'You are not a whore,' he said finally, with an edge to his voice. 'I will strike down any man who calls you so.'

With such earnestness in his voice, Isobel had no choice but to chuckle. She squeezed his hand. 'Well, thank you, Percival. But I really do need to get some sleep now that I'm the queen's maid.'

'Of course,' Percival replied. He stood aside and watched her enter the house.

'Good night,' she said, before closing the door. She heard him echo her words and head off back to the tavern.

Instead of going straight to her bed, she sat at the table in the centre of the two-roomed building, deep in thought.

_Perhaps if I was more like Guinevere, people wouldn't think so low of me_, she said to herself. And then she went to fetch her spell book from underneath her bed.

_* Whoops, didn't mean to write quite as much Isobel, but it's after 1am at the moment and I wanted to get this bit done before retiring to bed. I'll try and write more tomorrow. *_


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

* Unsure of the Arthurian protocol of King and Queen actually sharing a bed for the entire night so I've decided they do. *

When Gwen awoke early next morning, there was an ache in her back which she hadn't felt since becoming Queen and no longer having to sleep on the hard cot in her old home. Perhaps a new mattress would have to be ordered. After all, Arthur had had the same be for many years. Some things just had to change.

She yawned, covering her mouth, and turned to take in the sight of her husband. After years of servitude, Gwen's internal clock had been conditioned to wake her early in the morning. Arthur's internal clock would never go off at all, if he'd had his way. Many a time poor Merlin would have to rouse the sleeping prince to prepare him for a hunt, or training, or even just to make sure the breakfast wouldn't sit there getting cold.

But there was no Arthur snoring gently beside her. In fact, she realised with a start, she wasn't in the royal chamber. She sat up quickly and looked around. Her first thought was that she'd been taken by Camelot's enemies during the night but surely the guards stationed outside the room would have dealt with any intruders, or at the very least she herself would have been woken.

As she looked around the sparse room which reminded her so much of her old previous residence, she knew where she was. She was in Isobel's home. Although it had been many years now, Gwen had been inside the house during her days as a maid to Morgana. The place hadn't changed much.

'Isobel?' Gwen called out, then frowned. Her voice, it was... different. Ever so slightly deeper. She cleared her throat and called out again. 'Isobel, are you here?' Still her voice sounded huskier. She raised a hand to rub her throat and then stared at her hand. Her skin was lighter, freckled, and there was no wedding ring on her finger. A wedding ring she never ever took off.

Practically falling out of the bed, she got to her feet and looked at the plain nightgown and then at bare, pink feet.

'Oh god,' she moaned, looking around for a mirror as realisation started to dawn on her. Failing to find a mirror, she opened the door and stepped out into the street. People were already up, beginning their working day. A couple of them greeted her with a "good morning" as they passed. She stared at them after them.

'You'll catch your death,' a voice called out from behind her. Gwen turned round. Gwaine, Percival and Elyan were walking up the street towards her. Gwaine, who had spoken, was giving his dark beard a good scratch.

Once they'd reached her, Gwen grabbed her brother's arms and stared into his eyes. 'Elyan,' she began, and then threw her arms around him.

'Careful now, Elyan,' Gwaine cackled. 'Don't want to make Percival here jealous.'

'Shut up, Gwaine,' Percival muttered and pushed his fellow knight, almost knocking Gwaine off his feet.

Elyan took hold of her arms and gently broke the embrace, giving her a baffled look. 'Are you all right, Isobel?'

'No!' gasped Gwen, and turned to stare at the other knights as if they were playing a practical joke on her. But they all wore the same expression as Elyan.

'Has something happened?' asked Percival, stepping forward.

Gwen tried to speak but she couldn't find the words. Someone must have used magic to make her appear as her friend to everyone else. But who, and why? And if Gwen now appeared like Isobel, that meant that Isobel -

Gwen hitched up her nightgown and started running along the street, making for the castle, and leaving the knights chuckling with bemusement in her wake.

BODYSWAP * BODYSWAP * BODYSWAP * BODYSWAP * BODYSWAP *

Isobel let out a short, squeaking fart but remembered just in time to move her head from under the covers. She yawned loudly, not bothering to cover her mouth ,and stretched her arms. Something was obstructing her right arm from extending fully. She pushed at the thing with her hand and heard someone mutter in reply.

Before she could have a good look at whatever unfortunate man she had no recollection of bringing home the night before, a hand snaked its way over her stomach as the figure shifted nearer.

'Good morning, my love,' he whispered into her ear before gently nibbling on her earlobe. She turned her head to be greeted with the sight of a lazy-smiling Arthur, and screamed.

Arthur jolted back, frowning at her as she leapt out of the bed. They stared at one another, neither speaking for a moment.

'What's going on?' she asked finally, wary eyes looking around her.

'Well,' said Arthur, slowly. 'We've just woken up and now it's time for breakfast.' He paused and then sniffed the air. 'What is that foul stench?'

Quickly, she replied. 'I think Merlin popped in earlier for something.'

Arthur rolled his eyes and then sat up. 'He needs to be thrown in a bathtub and kept there for eternity,' he said, with a shake of the head. He looked back up at Isobel. 'Why are you looking at me like I've grown two heads?'

Isobel didn't reply. Why wasn't he kicking up a storm at the fact that he'd apparently been sharing a bed with a woman other than his wife? And now she came to think about it, why was she sounding different when she spoke?

'Guinevere?' Arthur said, suddenly looking concerned. 'Are you all right?'

A brief laugh escaped Isobel. 'I'm Guinevere?'

The frown appeared again. 'Yes,' said Arthur. 'Unless you've suddenly changed your name during the night.'

'_I'm_ Guinevere?' she asked again, chuckling.

'Ye-es.'

'I'm _Guinevere_.' The chuckling turned into mild hysteria as it dawned on her that the spell she had cast the previous night, the one she assumed would make her more demure _like_ Guinevere, had actually turned her into the Queen. Or at least make her appear like the Queen to everyone else.

'Oh god,' she groaned, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed. Arthur moved across the bed and sat beside her, taking her hand in his.

'Are you coming down with a fever?' the king asked. 'If you're unwell then I can get Gaius to come and see you.'

'I'm... fine.'

'Are you -' he began to ask and then stopped himself.

'What?'

'Are you,' he said again, trying to hide the grin threatening to explode across his face. 'Are you withchild?'

Isobel stared at him, wide-eyed, and then shot to her feet. 'No, I am not,' she said, a little too defensively.

'Sorry,' Arthur said, then got off the bed and wrapped his arms around her. She flinched at his touch, wanting desperately to get away from him and find Gwen. If Isobel now had the appearance of the Queen, then would that mean Guinevere now looked like Isobel?

As if to answer her, the door to the chamber was thrown open and Isobel came to face to face with herself.

'Oh god,' the two women said in unison, staring at one another.


	3. Chapter 3

'Arthur, could you leave us for a moment, please?' asked Gwen in Isobel's body.

The king looked at his wife's maid, surprised at her boldness. 'I'm sorry,' he said, in a bemused tone as he folded his arms. 'I thought it was myself and the Queen that gave the orders around here.'

Isobel, who had been staring at her own face, during this exchange, addressed Arthur in what she hoped was a Gwen-like manner. 'Oh, Arthur, she's just eager to get started on the day's chores. Leave us, my love.' She winced. Did the Queen ever call Arthur "my love"? Evidently so, as Arthur made no reaction to the endearment. Instead, he pouted.

'But what about breakfast?' he asked. 'Merlin should be bringing it in soon.'

'Why don't you have breakfast in the Feast Hall?' Isobel suggested, and received a bewildered look from the blond-haired king. 'It's a place for eating, is it not?' She went on.

'Yes,' Arthur said slowly, 'but…you want me to have breakfast in the hall…all by myself?'

Isobel shrugged. 'Why not? I'll get something to eat later. And you could always break your fast with your knights. Call it a bonding experience.'

'Are you feeling alright, Guinevere?' Arthur asked, reaching out to touch her forehead but Isobel was too quick for him and moved out of his reach.

'I'm perfectly fine, thank you,' she snapped slightly, just wishing the man would leave her and - herself? Gwen? - alone. 'Just leave us, please,' she tried again. 'We have… womanly things to discuss.'

That did the trick. Arthur's eyes bulged slightly and he scooted across to his dresser, hastily grabbing a bunch of clothes before dashing to change behind the ornate partition in the corner of the room. Going by the astonished look on the real Gwen's face, this was something the king never did for himself. The two women stood in silence, occasionally stealing awed glances at one another's appearance. 'Right, I'll be off then,' said Arthur, awkwardly as he walked with some haste towards the chamber door.

As soon as he'd left, Gwen and Isobel stared at one another. Gwen - in Isobel's body - was the first to move. She reached out and tentatively went to touch the other face but stopped and lowered her hand instead.

'How?' Gwen asked.

Isobel stalled for a few seconds. Although the Queen wasn't a magic-hating Pendragon by birth, she'd never exactly welcomed sorcerors with open arms. There was no way she could find out it was Isobel herself who had cast the awry spell. 'I don't know,' she lied, now knowing how Merlin felt when he had to lie about his magic.

'We must tell the king,' Gwen said firmly, turning to follow her husband, but Isobel caught her arm.

'What good will he do?' Isobel asked.

'He must know there are traitors about,' Gwen replied, and looked at Isobel. The two women winced with unease as they stared at their own faces. 'Someone obviously thought that if they did this to the Queen of Camelot, then…' She stopped and frowned. 'Well, I don't know, to be honest. But there must be a reason for it.'

'It's probably someone just playing a joke,' Isobel said, diplomatically, but she was given a dubious look from her friend.

' A joke? I don't see how this is funny, Isobel. How exactly are we meant to change back? I mean you no offence but I do not wish to remain with your appearance forever. And what about Arthur? He looks at you and sees the face of his wife but you did not marry him.'

'I'll speak to Gaius,' Isobel interrupted. 'He knows about matters of sorcery. If we told Arthur then he would only ask Gaius' advice, anyway. There's no need to alert the king.'

'And in the meantime?' Gwen asked, arms folded.

'We just play along. When we're around others, I am Queen Guinevere and -'

'I am your servant Isobel,' Gwen finished. 'Somehow I think you get the better deal.'

'At least you have experience of being a servant,' Isobel countered. 'I have no idea how to act all regal.'

'Well there's no time like the present to show you. Oh,' Gwen paused, wide-eyed.

'What is it?' asked Isobel, with a frown.

'We have a visiting dignitary arriving in two day's time. If this problem isn't put right by then, then…' She trailed off, a despairing expression on the face she wore.

'Looks like you get the better deal, this time,' Isobel said. 'I - or rather, you - just have to teach Percival to read.'

'Percival?' Gwen asked, looking amused. 'I thought he could read already.'

'Oh, the basics,' Isobel told her. 'But he wants to be able to read books, poetry -'

'Poetry, eh?' Gwen grinned.

'Oh, don't you start,' Isobel said, shaking her head. 'Gwaine found out about it and now he can't stop teasing the poor man.'

'Are you sure the reading lessons aren't just an excuse?'

'Excuse for what?'

Gwen never answered. She just smiled again and cleared her throat. 'Right, so we have two days to get back to normal. Go and find Gaius. Explain what's happened.'

'All right,' Isobel nodded, dashing towards the door.

'Um.. You might want to get changed out of my nightdress first,' Gwen said, one hand on her hip.

Isobel skidded to a halt and looked down. 'Oops. You're right. Can't have the Queen of Camelot going around half naked!' She changed her course and headed for Gwen's dresser. 'What will you do in the meantime?'

Gwen glanced around the room and with a sigh, said, 'Do the chores. I suppose it's like riding a horse. Once you get the hang of it, you never forget.'

The door to the chamber was opened and in walked Merlin balancing a tray full of food and a silver decanter. He paused upon seeing Isobel and Gwen stare wide-eyed at him like they'd just been caught doing something wrong. He quickly scanned the room for the king but he was nowhere to be seen.

'Uh… breakfast?' Merlin said, unsure whether to place down on the table or keep hold of it. The looks the two women were giving him were strange. What was going on?

'Oh, Merlin,' Isobel - as Gwen - said. 'Arthur's waiting for his breakfast in the Great Hall, this morning.'

Merlin's dark eyebrows dipped in confusion. 'Uh… why?' he asked, laughing nervously.

'He wanted… a change of scenery,' she stuttered.

'Yes,' Gwen said and then smiled a little too brightly when Merlin looked at her.

'Alright,' nodded Merlin, still giving the two women a suspicious look. He turned to leave again but paused in the doorway. 'Look, this isn't a prank or something, is it?'

'A prank?' said Isobel.

'Yes,' replied Merlin. 'Arthur's not hiding in this room, he's not pretending he's in the Hall so I have to take this food all the way there and then all the way back when I realise the Hall's empty?'

'Of course not,' Isobel replied, giving her friend a look of pity. She knew how the King sometimes treated his manservant. If only Arthur knew the truth, she thought. 'I told him to go there, myself.'

'Iso - I mean, the Queen's right,' Gwen chimed in. 'I was here when she told him.'

Merlin's eyes narrowed, not fully believing the Queen or her maid. 'Alright, but if he isn't there then he's the one who will end up with a cold breakfast, that's all I'm saying.'

'That is fair enough,' nodded Isobel in agreement.

Eventually, Merlin left the room and closed the door behind him. Gwen, still wearing Isobel's nightgown, slumped onto the bed. 'We're never going to pull this off,' she said with a grimace.

'Oh yes we will,' said Isobel, sitting down next to her. 'We have to. Don't worry, everything will turn out right. It always does.'

'I wish I shared your optimism,' Gwen muttered gloomily.

** **From now on, despite having each other's appearance, I shall just refer to the real Gwen as "Gwen" and the real Isobel as "Isobel". Makes it far easier on everyone that way**. **


End file.
